Arc 4: 06 Time Line
by Macx
Summary: What if.... Aleeta One would survive the renegade Decepticon's attack? What would change? What if you could change history? What would you do if you were in Optimus Prime's place and had this one and only chance....?


All right! This is the next installment and for those of you who might have complained about not using the older characters, here's one dealing a lot with Optimus Prime :P   
This is also my first attempt to do a time travel story. I ended up babbling incoherently when I was done, so have mercy. I tried to keep it in a straight line. The three people who read it before the final version was finally up came out in what could be called a sane state of mind (Down, Springer! Becky, sit! Stop with that growling, Heather!) 

Anyway, same procedure as always. Copyrights for the Transformers don't belong to me... blablabla   
Comments can be send to the usual address.   
Now have fun!   
Flames can be directed to Hellmouth. 

**Time Line**   
by Birgit Staebler   
Time is a strange thing. And it isn't even a *thing*. You cannot grasp it because it's not substantial, but you can measure it in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, years, decades, centuries, millennia, and you can say 'eternity'. It is commonly known that Time runs along Timestreams. That is, it is said by scientist that Time runs along Timestreams - Timestreams that are individual, never crossing, only touching each other. Sometimes they may interweave, but they never mingle. That is the theory about Timestreams. You have to believe those scientist because - well......, can you prove otherwise?   
Over the centuries theories have evolved, have been contradicted by other theories and then abandoned in faith that the new theory is the right one. Scientists have written papers about Time and the universe of Time. Scientist have discussed the subject of Time among themselves - on and on again. And authors adopted the idea of Time traveling, something that scientists say is impossible. This way a lot of good books were written and now classic films were made. And the scientists keep on discussing.   
Beside time travel, there is also the fascination with traveling realities. It's a general belief that realities are like dimensions and come very close to each other from time to time. That is true. Dimensions are shapeless blobs, stretching, expanding, contracting, in an otherwise empty room. Now and then they flow into each other and mix. That is when a dimensional reality gate opens and allows travel. When the gate closes, the belief is that it is shut firmly.   
This is wrong.

* * *

"Report."   
"There was a heavy energy disturbance in sector five," Blaster answered dutifully. "Communication was down for several seconds. Another disturbance disrupted everything in sectors 5-01, 5-09 and 5-04." He looked at his commanding officer.   
Optimus Prime studied the readings with a puzzled frown. The sector was way outside any dangerous or important areas. Sector five had come away from the Tji attack miraculously unharmed and was currently not even in use. A survey and exploration team had been sent there three Standard months ago to do routine cartographing, but nothing major had been discovered.   
"Get me details on those sectors, Blaster, and contact the survey team there. I want to know if the saw something."   
"Roger that, Prime!"   
Optimus left the communications expert alone and walked back his own desk. Something bothered him, but he couldn't put his finger on it. The energy disturbance had come out of nowhere, like a solar flare, and it had disappeared just as quickly. There had been apparently no damage done to the structures in the sectors, except for the loss of communication for a few seconds. But still ... he felt bothered by it. He would have to wait until the reports came in, though. Maybe this was just an unexplained phenomenon. Then again, he hated unexplained phenomena, mainly because there were still Tji lose on Cybertron, hiding out like rats and just as tricky to catch. But why sector five?

* * *

There was no visible sign of a portal or anything like a dimensional gateway anywhere near the coordinates. Rodimus looked at the emptiness, knowing there would be no sign of anything until something disturbed the anomaly once more. He had had a look at a time portal before, a more or less controlled one with a stable position, but it didn't mean he was an expert. Last time the Quintessons had been responsible, trying to destroy the Autobot rebellion back in the past. Now.... there were barely any Quintessons left, thanks to what could almost be a called a genocide revenge the Tji had taken on their former allies. And Rodimus didn't believe this to be of Quintesson origin.   
"I think I pinpointed the exact location of the gateway," Perceptor now said, interrupting his train of thought.   
"Can we enter it?"   
"Unknown, but I wouldn't advise on doing it. The disturbances might damage anything going through beyond repair or, in a worst-case scenario, destroy it."   
Rodimus nodded. "Try sending in a small probe. I want to know where this time window leads. And then tell me how to shut it down."   
Perceptor didn't look all that confident concerning the shut down order, but he still nodded and started to busy himself with the computer again.   
Rodimus opened a com line to call in for some additional firepower and help. And maybe some brains. He grinned. The Technobots would make a good defense in case something came through this anomaly – something they didn't want.

*

"These are the pictures the probe sent back," Lightspeed said and switched on the replay mode of the recording system.   
The picture was nothing but a virtual snow storm at first, then it became streaks of light, then cleared slowly into a wobbly and wavering picture, recorded by a device that had been sent through an unknown anomaly. Rodimus saw high towers, squat buildings, ruined, demolished or abandoned. A metal world he knew....   
"Cybertron," he said quietly.   
"Yes, a Cybertron from a time we know and which is in our history files," Perceptor explained. "Taking into accordance the state of decay but also the recent blast marks, I estimate the time about five millennia before now."   
"Way before contact with Earth," Optimus said calmly. "And before the Tji were known."   
"Exactly."   
Rodimus cast a glance at his friend, frowning almost imperceptibly. Something bothered him about Prime's statement.   
"The time corridor is stable right now," Perceptor went on. "But I strongly advice against sending anything but probes through. Not only are the fluctuations inside the tunnel dangerous and strong enough to tear everything apart, sending an exploration crew through would also alter history immediately."   
"Do we know what caused the time corridor?" Ultra Magnus wanted to know.   
"I have to confess that we don't know. I suspect there is a high probability that when the other time window the Quintessons built was destroyed not all traces disappeared. These phenomena are highly unpredictable and because of it so dangerous."   
"But the other time window wasn't even on Cybertron," Rodimus reminded him.   
"Correct. But since we know next to nothing about the anomaly from the past, we can't say that it is just a stationary phenomenon. It could be that the destruction of the other device sent particles of it flying through space and they created new gates into history somewhere."   
"And one of those 'somewheres' is here," Magnus muttered.   
"Yes."   
"So what can we do?" Rodimus wanted to know, noting how strangely quiet Optimus Prime was throughout this.   
"I want to study the anomaly as long as it exists. Maybe we can predict future time holes, maybe even control them." Perceptor's optics suddenly gleamed with the need of scientific knowledge.   
Optimus nodded. "Proceed," he entered the discussion, "but proceed with care."   
"Of course, Prime."   
The meeting dispersed and Optimus walked wordlessly back to his office. Rodimus watched him with thoughtful optics, somehow troubled by his partner's behavior. He went back to his quarters, lost in thought, wondering... hoping that the worst didn't happen.

* * *

Optimus Prime sat in his office in West Central, staring at the wall. Everything around him was dark, the lights switched off and only the light from the city around him casting a few weak rays. Though his optics were fixed on the inanimate object, something he had seen countless times because it belonged to his office, he was not really looking at it. His mind was miles....millennia away. He didn't know why he was involving himself so strongly, so emotionally in this; maybe because was because of the small ray of hope that was suddenly inside of him.   
But why?   
There wasn't any chance....   
Was there?   
Optimus clenched his hands into fists and wished he could forget. He had said good-bye and his life had continued, but now he was spiraling back to what had been before: denial, hope, a chance.....   
Aleeta's life.   
Prime slowly rose from the chair and walked over to the window overlooking the plaza below. It was evening, the fountain lit up in a soft blue light, the water reflecting it in a myriad ways. People milled around, chatting, enjoying life at this moment, while he was brooding over his past. A past he had thought he had left behind and would never call upon again. Now it had come back to haunt him, this time in a new guise. Only a few sectors away from him was a way to go back, to change what been done, to right the wrong. He stared into the distance, optics unfocused.   
But did he have the right to do it? Did he have the right to change history?   
Optimus groaned softly, torn inside between what his heart told him and what his mind argued was wrong. He had only one chance... one chance to save Aleeta, to bring her back to him... forever.   
Resting his forehead against the thick glass of the window he dimmed his optics, indecision warring inside of him. What should he do?!

* * *

The dark colored robot with the camouflage pattern walked into the office room without knocking. The owner of the office looked up from what he had been reading and his optics brightened briefly, the display of an amused smile without moving his lips.   
"Hello, Ru, why don't you come in and take a seat?"   
Rubin had already sat down and as always his face displayed barely hidden annoyance at one thing or the other.   
"What's up?"   
"Remember the anomaly?" Rubin asked.   
Myka frowned. "Anomaly? Which one of the many?"   
Rubin's expression grew more annoyed. "About five thousand years ago. The one that messed up my day because you had me record and scan it for days."   


"Ah, what is it now?!"   
Myka turned and looked over to where Rubin was pounding on the scanner, face screwed in an annoyed expression.   
"What is it this time, Ru?"   
Rubin shot him an even more annoyed look, his blue optics glowing with suppressed need to smash his work station. Myka smiled secretly. Rubin was one of his best scientists, but his weak spot was his easily roused temper, and faulty machinery did this better than anything.   
"The sensors in sector five showed an energy overload. Some kind of sudden discharge of energy." He gave the scanner module a little push and the screen flickered. "Stupid sensors! I knew the P12s were a load of crap! Should have gone for the rewired P7s."   
Myka walked over to the screen. "What kind of discharge? Any specific location?"   
"No. All over the place. That's why I say these stupid sensors are faulty! No way anything could discharge energy on such a broad band!" Rubin snorted again and leaned back, crossing his arms in front of his chest.   
Myka frowned. "Theoretically, what would be able to do this?"   
Rubin shot him a strange look. "Theoretically? I have no clue. It's nothing the Cons would do, believe me. They are more for the straight 'throw a bomb and be done with it' tactic. And why sector five? Dead as Primus. Nothing in there is in any way remotely interesting for the Cons and they don't just bomb uninteresting places."   
"Maybe now it is of interest to them."   
"Not without us noticing where they set their dirty little feet," Rubin snorted.   
"Ru? Theoretically....?" Myka reminded him.   
The other Autobot sighed. "I have no clue, okay? I'd have to call in more data from the sensors."   
"Then do it."   
"Myka! That would take hours!"   
"So?"   
Rubin shot him an acid look. "Have no one else to torture? I'm telling you, it's probably just some kind of freaky energy flares! We had them before in other sectors. You know.... atmospheric discharge, solar flares and that boring crap."   
Myka gave him a humorless smile. "Then it's time someone looked into those boring facts. Do it, Rubin."   
"Aye, aye, Mr.-Commander-Sir!"   
"Cut it out and do your job."   
Rubin mumbled something rude under his breath and turned back to his mistreated station. Myka walked over to his own workstation and called up the weird energy discharge Rubin had shown him. It looked innocent enough, but there had been some of those in the past before. Maybe it was nothing but weather, but maybe it was something more. And maybe it had something or other to do with Decepticons.   


"Yep, I remember," Myka chuckled. "Alpha Trion called it a time window."   
"And he never told us where it came from, that is: what time was at the other end."   
"Exactly."   
"I know now."   
Myka gave him an expectant look. "Well?"   
"Now."   
"Excuse me?"   
"It came from now, Myka. My instruments picked up the exact same readings, the exact same amount of chrono particles as before. The time window just opened in sector five.... and it leads to our past."   
Myka gaped, then shook his head in amazement. "Did you tell anyone?"   
"Yeah, you. You are my commander." Rubin's optics glinted evilly and Myka felt ready to whack him here and now.   
"All right, I'll call West Central. This will be some news....."

* * *

Scattershot was the first to spot him and a swift frown crossed his features. Not because he wouldn't expect Optimus Prime to take a personal look at the time window, but because no one had expected him to come now. Rodimus had been here briefly to take a look at the invisible anomaly, checking their progress, and because Optimus' partner had been here, no one had expected the Autobot leader to come in person. Now he transformed and nodded at Scattershot.   
"Optimus Prime," Scattershot greeted him. "Can I help you?"   
"Any progress on the time window?"   
"No, not really. We know it is stable so far, the time settings haven't changed, and it looks like the probe is not affected by transport, though there are high amounts of energy in the time tunnel." Scattershot called up some data on his portable work station. "We think that the time window is a result of scattered fragments from the destruction of the last window. But that is only the theory. It could be a new phenomenon as well, or connected to the energy discharge throughout the last battle against the Tji, or something completely different. We have to work on it."   
Optimus nodded. "Is it possible to send people through to the other side?"   
"Yes, it is possible.... theoretically of course. But I strongly advise against it. We don't know what will happen to the individual traveling through. The time window is not a doorway tunnel."   
Prime thoughtfully gazed toward the nothingness where the anomaly was. Lightspeed and Nosecone had erected a barrier around the area and several scanners were pointing at it, recording every shift and fluctuation.   
"But it would be possible?"   
"Uhm, yes.... But not without excessive testing first. And I would still advise against it. Going back in time means we are changing history. Whatever we do back there, it will affect everything and everyone."   
Optimus nodded again. "Thank you, Scattershot."   
Scattershot watched him walk closer to the barrier with a puzzled frown on his face, then he shrugged and went back to work.

* * *

"He what?"   
Perceptor and the present Technobots ducked involuntarily under the quiet but dangerously voiced question.   
"How could you let him pass?" Rodimus asked, voice still way too level for their liking. He was seething with anger, but he wasn't yelling.   
"Optimus said he wanted to take a closer look at the anomaly...." Scattershot started.   
"And he couldn't use the camera and monitors?"   
"Uhm...."   
"Why didn't you stop him? You would have stopped everyone else, wouldn't you? Any unauthorized person would have been stopped outside the perimeter!"   
"He's.... he's the Autobot leader...." Lightspeed stuttered into silence at the glare he received.   
"Yes, he is the Autobot leader, but that doesn't make him god! You could have stopped him at least long enough to call me!" Rodimus whirled around and stalked out of the container that had been erected to house the research facilities.   
"Rodimus....!" Nosecone hurried after him. "We had no idea he would do something as stupid as that! We thought he only wanted to get a closer look! He is our commander and he had the right..."   
Rodimus stopped and Nosecone had to brake hard not to run into him. He shivered as cold, blue optics pinned him to the spot. "He is the commander, of course. And you'd let him walk into a volcano or an energon firestorm if he wanted to, right?"   
"No, but...."   
"But you let him walk close to a time hole leading back into the past, an anomaly we have no clue how it came to be here and how long it will remain stable. A phenomenon of which we have no scientific knowledge of except for the meager facts you gathered till now! What if it had gone critical just then?"   
"We had no indication that it would...."   
Rodimus shot him a look of disgust and then continued his way. Nosecone hurried after him.   
"Prime...."   
"Stop trying to find excuses and get working on how we get him back!" Rodimus snapped irritably.   
Nosecone flinched and his optics widened. Rodimus in a foul mood was a rare sight, at least to his subordinates. Others, closer friends, had seen him like this before. The young leader sighed.   
"I'm sorry, Nosecone. I didn't want to snap. We need to get him back before he changes history in any way. I want you to find me solutions, ways to get him out of the past and back here without endangering everything."   
"Yes, Sir." The Technobot nearly saluted and then hurried off.   
"You scared him out of his armor," Shanygn remarked, leaning casually against the wall next to him.   
Rodimus sighed and rubbed his tired optics. "I know, I know. And I told him I'm sorry."   
She fell into step beside him. "You think you know why he did it." It wasn't a question.   
Rodimus nodded slowly. "Change the past."   
"And with it the future. Who knows what will change around here without us even noticing it. All our memories will start aligning themselves to the new reality as the old one is changed and dies. And who knows who of us will be around after this?"   
He met her serious blue eyes, hearing his own deepest fear spoken out loud. "That's why we need to get him back."   
"And there is only one way. You know it as well."   
Rodimus nodded. "Yes. Follow him."   
Shanygn gave him a grim smile. "And hope he hasn't done the worst yet."   
"I know."   
They walked in silence for a while. Finally Rodimus stopped. He stared out over the emptiness that was sector five, only a few scattered buildings giving a semblance of civilization anywhere around them.   
"Where were you in that time?" Shanygn asked into the silence.   
"Here and there. Battling Decepticons, having fun on other worlds, trying to forget the war for a while, always afraid I'd miss something if I didn't go to the extreme," Rodimus said quietly. "I lived each day to the fullest, never planning ahead because I was afraid that if I lived with the day-to-day routine of those expecting to die each day, I'd go crazy. I wasn't on Cybertron much."   
"So we wouldn't run into Hot Rod?"   
Rodimus shook his head. "No."   
"How much do the history archives tell about the time period."   
"Sadly enough not much. A lot was lost or was given from generation to generation by word of mouth. The war meant destruction and many scrolls and files are only dust today."   
Shanygn frowned. "When we go back there.... you know that we'll be right in the middle of nowhere concerning knowledge. Optimus knows more about this planet than we do."   
"But not about this time period. He was still in stasis lock on Earth and he knows as much as we do," Rodimus reminded her.   
She nodded. "Maybe."   
He turned and walked slowly back to the container station. Part of his mind wondered why they were talking about this whole thing as if it was already a set and approved plan. Well, for them it was set, but the approval was still missing and he knew he would have a hard time with that.   
"Are you sure you want to come along?"   
The look his Interface partner shot him was answer enough. "I'm surprised you didn't state that you wouldn't take me along right from the beginning," she grumbled.   
Rodimus smiled but there was no humor in it. "You know why, Shan. I wouldn't survive over here without help – your help. And the separation... I don't want to risk it."   
To an outsider's ears it would have sounded corny and mushy, but Shanygn knew where it came from and what he meant. They were linked through the Interface and she had experienced separation once before. It had been enough. If Rodimus went back in time it was more than likely that she would separate once more and none of them would be able to perform efficiently then, least of all Rodimus who needed all his wits together.   
They arrived back at the time hole, the invisible anomaly both would soon step into. The scientist puzzling over what to do right now had no idea of his plans, and neither had those he still needed to inform. He could hear their protests already, but he knew they wouldn't be able to convince him to stay. Too much was at risk.   
Just too much.   
"Now we just have to convince the others," Shanygn muttered.   
Rodimus smiled humorlessly. "Let me handle it."

* * *

Optimus looked around, his mind trying to fit what he saw with what he knew of his planet and what he was used to. Only a few millennia, 5219 to be exact, and everything had changed for the worse. Signs of the war still happening around him were plainly visible. Everywhere blast marks ruined the smooth metal surface, and half-destroyed buildings and blackened ruins rose up into the night. In the distance he thought he heard a brief exchange of shots. From the tales of those who had surfaced after the alliance, Optimus knew that the war back home had not gone on full scale. Because of energon running low, spirits were no longer as high as they had been before, and the fighting had gradually declined, though peace had never been reached. Wherever two groups met there would be fighting and though the Decepticons had been the rulers of Cybertron, their power had been dubious at the time, only strengthened when Megatron had contacted Cybertron to let them know that he had survived. But that was still a long time off.   
The Autobot leader transformed, heading away from sector five. He had several places to check for the one he wanted to meet, whose life he had to safe. And he had no time to lose.

* * *

Rodimus Prime looked at the assembled scientists and engineers, his expression far from amused. Actually it was a stony mask and no one really dared to meet his icy optics. All of them felt guilty because all had been there, all had let Optimus Prime walk to the anomaly and even past the barrier. Megatron leaned back in his chair, his face reflecting Rodimus' expression, while Midnight and Tornado's faces were neutral.   
"Perceptor told us all what we are facing," Rodimus said, voice level and without any emotion at all. "The time window is a stable tunnel to the past of this planet. The probe survived the journey and there are few reasons why Optimus shouldn't have. Whatever he is doing there, it will influence our present, his future. We won't see those changes because just like time, we will be adapting as well. The problem is, we don't really know what Optimus thinks he can change. There are several options I can think of and all would have catastrophic results. He could change everything for the worst."   
"As in what? Send troops to Earth and kill me?" Megatron asked, voice neutral.   
"One possibility. It's still five thousand years until the earthquake wakes you and he could end it all. But I know he wouldn't do it because of the alliance we have right now."   
"I killed him," Megatron reminded him with a dark glint in his optics.   
"And he came back. Megatron, I don't think he went back for revenge. He would destroy the whole continuum we have!" Rodimus shook his head. "He wouldn't risk it. The effects would be catastrophic!"   
"Then what? Five thousand years...." Tornado shrugged. "I'd understand five million or more because he would be able to fundamentally influence the resistance on Cybertron or other events."   
"Maybe he wants to warn the others of the Tji, though I guess no one would really believe him," Midnight muttered. "It's too far away and sounds like fiction."   
Rodimus sighed and thoughtfully stared at the table. "What struck him the most?" he mumbled. "What changed him?"   
"Besides dying?" Megatron asked humorlessly, lips twisting into what could be interpreted as a smile.   
Rodimus grimaced. "Besides dying, yes."   
"Aleeta One's death," the Decepticon leader answered.   
Their optics locked and Rodimus felt his core unit freeze. Yes, Aleeta's death had struck his partner hard and nearly without warning. Optimus had felt that something was wrong and he had searched for her, but only when some of the female Autobots had surfaced had he finally known his suspicion and dread was for real: she had been killed. And the killers had been Decepticon renegades. Rodimus knew Optimus had suffered from the news for a long time, but he had finally said his good-byes, had accepted that his life-long partner was gone and would never share his life again. Silhouette had told Rodimus that she had accompanied him to Aleeta's grave, had stood silent vigil as he had said good-bye in his own way, and both had agreed that Optimus was on his best way to acceptance, though the loss would always be there.   
Now this.....   
"Oh, no...." he muttered.   
"A very likely option," Midnight agreed.   
"What would change if she survives?" Tornado asked into the shocked silence that followed.   
Their optics turned to Perceptor. The scientist cleared his throat.   
"Well, it is only a theory, but if Aleeta survives, the female Autobots might surface earlier. That would add to our troops. But it would also change the outcome of the Venerakkin/Alliance partnership."   
"In what way?" Midnight asked, puzzled.   
"When Firefall disappeared, Rikkochet took over in her place and though tensions grew between us and the Venerakkin, they stayed," Perceptor explained, then fumbled for words. "Ahem, well, we know that this was not out of some gracious act...."   
"It was because Rikkochet was interested in Prime," Megatron finished gruffly, the grin appearing on his face again.   
"Uhm, yes. If the Venerakkin leave before the Tji attack on Cybertron it will not only mean less warriors, it might also mean our destruction."   
Midnight rubbed his temples. He knew he had survived solely because Magikk, a 'kkin medic, had managed to keep him alive so long. And he knew that even before the whole disaster that had changed them all forever, the 'kkin had influenced them, had saved lives, had added to the firepower they had.   
"We would die....."   
"...because Aleeta One lives," Rodimus whispered, horrified.   
"Most likely," Perceptor confirmed. "But there are other theories concerning time travel and changes of the past."   
"And those are....?"   
"One would be that time heals itself. If Optimus Prime save's Aleeta One's life, denying history to continue as it has already happened, she will die at another occasion. She might even survive until today, but since she does not exist in our time, she won't."   
"Excuse me?" Midnight interrupted. "Would you mind running that by me again?"   
"Aleeta One died and is no longer around," Perceptor elaborated. "So she can't be here and alive. Simple as that. Time would work to heal itself by ignoring her. She would be a proverbial ghost, even if she is alive. We wouldn't be able to interact with her because she is not here. The theory was established by a colleague of mine who sadly perished in the war."   
"Strange theory," Tornado muttered.   
"There are others," Perceptor continued. "It could also happen that through Aleeta's continued existence, the time line we live in ends with her survival. Our time dimension ceases to exist and with it everything that ever happened."   
"You want to say that we will die," Rodimus stated.   
"No, we cease to exist. Our history has already happened once and it cannot die, but our time will simply end. The bubble will implode. The scientist who developed this theory, someone called Sapphire, called them logic bubbles. Our logic bubble ends because logically Aleeta does not exist here. She will start a whole new thread and a whole new logic bubble."   
Megatron shook his head but said nothing.   
"The simplest explanation is a change of time, a change of history and an alteration of our memories," Perceptor concluded. "Those of us who live to this time won't remember any of what happened."   
Rodimus Prime hissed a soft curse. "We have to stop him," he then said. "Whatever happens, we can't let him save Aleeta!"   
"How?" Midnight wanted to know.   
Rodimus gave him a grim smile. "Follow him."

* * *

Everything was so hauntingly familiar.... so much home and so much an alien world in one. This was Cybertron as he remembered it, ravaged by war but still surviving. It was depleted of energon but struggling to maintain its heartbeat. Optimus Prime drove through the silent ruins, glad he hadn't run into anyone yet, but he knew that could be over any minute. Sector five seemed to be rather Decepticon safe, but he didn't know how long it would last. His destination was about another hour of driving away from here and he was rather exposed like this. Optimus tried to remember where the old underground tunnels ran and then went over the maps of sector five. There had to be an entry somewhere.....   
Several minutes later he found one. He transformed and studied the locking mechanism. No one had come through here for a while and it looked rusted. With some manipulation he managed to crack it and then heaved away the heavy cover. A murky darkness greeted him, emergency lighting flickered faintly further down the tunnel. Optimus looked around and saw no one. With a last cautious gaze into the darkness he finally stepped into the tunnel. He closed the cover again and then proceeded down into the underground.

* * *

"You are set on this?"   
Rodimus nodded. "Yes. We have to get him back and I'm the most logical choice to go after him."   
Midnight shook his head. "I don't like it, but I like Optimus loose in the past even less."   
Rodimus smiled grimly. "Me too."   
"But you should take back-up along."   
"No way. Whoever goes back with me is another risk concerning unwanted changes in time."   
"You are changing time the moment you step into the past, Rodimus," Midnight reminded him.   
"Yes, and that's why I'm not taking more people along than necessary."   
"Oh, thank you," Shanygn muttered, looking up from where she was checking her exo-suit one last time. "Now I feel like unwanted but maybe handy equipment."   
Rodimus shot her a smile. "You know what I mean."   
She grinned and continued her last-minute checks.   
Midnight sighed and shook his head. "I don't like it, but I accept it. Write me a postcard."   
Rodimus chuckled. "Will do."   
Shanygn snapped the last of the latches shut and waited for the suit's internal checks to tell her there were no faults. Finally she nodded at her partner. They were go.

* * *

Myka didn't like West Central. Too big, too loud and you could lose your way looking for the damn entrance into the administration wing. He could have called, but this was sensitive information and his memories of those days were rather clear. He knew no one outside the Council should know. Myka finally found the right way, passed several security points and in the end he was on the level where all the offices were. One of the guards had called ahead that he was coming and so it was no big surprise that no one else tried to check him through or asked what he was doing here.   
What he didn't expect was the Council member whose office he was directed to. He had thought Optimus Prime or Rodimus Prime, maybe even Megatron, but not the Sentinel leader. Midnight smiled at him but he looked slightly distracted.   
"Hello, Myka," the black robot now greeted him. "What can I do for you?"   
Myka cast a quick look around and wondered if this guy had any personal items at all. Even Shivna, who was the most impersonal Cybertronian he knew, had some memorabilia standing around. Here, there was nothing at all except the usual office parts.   
"Rubin, one of my scientists, picked something up. A large amount of chrono particles erupting from sector five." He watched the Sentinel closely and thought he saw a twitch. "I guess you know about it already, but I doubt you know what it is."   
Midnight leaned forward slightly. "And what it is in your opinion?"   
"An unstable time window leading back 5219 years into a past where the Cybertronian civil war still raged."   
"What makes you think that?"   
Myka smiled slightly. "I was there. More or less in the middle of it. And after it was all over, Alpha Trion dropped a few hints."   
The reaction was more than pleasing. A startled expression crossed the dark features and Midnight gave a soft hiss. "What?!"   
"5219 years ago Rubin picked up exactly this time anomaly and Alpha Trion ordered us to monitor it. We did and we got those scans." Myka presented Midnight the zipped file of the ancient data. "It's what was recorded all that time ago and it contains everything, right down to the breakdown time."   
"Breakdown?" Midnight's voice was suddenly sharp.   
"Yeah. The whole thing started to fluctuate and then it went up in a cloud of smoke. Well, figuratively speaking."   
Midnight suddenly wore a worried expression. "When?"   
"I think about six days after it appeared. Why? Something wrong?"   
"Nothing, except that we just sent someone through."   
"What?!" Now it was Myka's turn to gape. "Rubin said the whole anomaly was highly unstable and it had been a miracle it existed so long! And you sent someone through?"   
"Not really. He went through going after someone else."   
Myka was silent for a while, looking at the desk top, then he raised his optics. "Rodimus Prime?" he asked quietly.   
"What makes you think that?"   
"I was there, Midnight. I know part of what happened. And part of what happened was that one of the patrols picked up a stranger who, according to one of the group, looked suspiciously like a variation of Hot Rod......"   
"Oh, damn!"

* * *

"Who are you?" the robot in front of him demanded, his gun pointing directly at Rodimus. He had no idea who this Autobot was, only that he was currently the one with the superior position.   
"My name is Rodimus," he answered slowly. "And I'm not your enemy."   
"I've never seen you here before," the other Autobot said.   
"True. I just arrived. But I am an Autobot, just like you, and I'm looking for a friend of mine."   
The other's optics narrowed. "We'll see about the friend part soon. You are coming with me."   
Rodimus sighed, knowing that his caution was a good sign but right now he had no time!   
[Play it cool, hot shot] Shanygn advised.   
[Optimus could be miles away and looking for Aleeta! He could already know where she is!]   
[He doesn't. You know that he once rediscovered the female Autobots and at that time they were all very well hidden. He has to search and because of that it will take time]   
He sighed softly. [Yes, I know. Still, I don't need this right now!]   
[Calm down] Shanygn advised him gently.   
Rodimus only snorted, but he followed his 'captor'. His mind was feverishly working on who of those who knew Hot Rod might be on Cybertron right now. Rodimus Prime was still Hot Rod by color, though looking a tad different, but to someone who knew his former self it would be obvious. Right now he came up with no one. Ultra Magnus, Kup, Springer and Arcee had to be on Xon, together with Hot Rod, and though he had a ton of loose friendships here, he hoped no one would be hanging around whatever base he was led to.   
"Down here," the Autobot commanded and Rodimus saw a ramp leading about one level down into the darkness of whatever was there. He shrugged.   
After walking through a tunnel that had started at the end of the ramp he was standing in a large room that had seen much better days, just like everything around him so far.   
"Sit down!" the Autobot commanded and gave him a little push toward the only chair in the room to enhance his order.   
"No need to get pushy," Rodimus muttered but did as he had been told.   
His captor went to stand behind him, still brandishing the gun.   
[I could take him out, y'know]   
[I know, I know, but we are here to find Optimus, not to start a battle] Shanygn reminded him.   
He sent her a grin.   
Suddenly the door at the other end of the room opened and three robots entered, all of them Autobots, all of them showing the war weariness Rodimus had seen in many. But even though they looked weary of what they were facing every day, they were also alert and very much his adversaries if he didn't play his cards right. The three Autobots approached and Rodimus tensed.   
[Oh, sh....]   
[What?]   
[Sunride]   
Shanygn was puzzled and he focused his optics on one of the apparent bodyguards of the third. He was smaller than Rodimus, colored in silver, ochre and dark brown, and was armed to the hilt.   
[Who is he?]   
[Old friend of Hot Rod]   
[Oh. Still around in our present?]   
[He was declared MIA over three thousand years ago. We don't know what happened to him]   
"I found him in sector five," Rodimus' captor now said. "He bears an Autobot symbol, but I've never seen him here before. He claims to have just arrived."   
The leader, or whatever he was, looked at Rodimus. "Who are you?"   
"My name is Rodimus," he answered, omitting the 'Prime' again, "and I came here looking for a friend of mine. He arrived earlier and I need to find him."   
"Your friend? What is his name?"   
"Op....Orion," Rodimus answered.   
"I don't know any Autobot by this name," the second Autobot beside Sunride muttered.   
"And I don't know anyone by the name of Rodimus," the leader added.   
"Just like I don't know you," Rodimus countered.   
The Autobot smiled. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Refrax, this," he indicated the robot who had spoken earlier, "is Drop Zone, and this Sunride. And the one you met right away is Starburst." Refrax leaned forward. "How did you arrive in our sector?"   
[Tricky]   
"I did, and that's all you need to know," Rodimus said quietly. "I didn't come here as an enemy, just looking for a friend. I don't want to bother you with anything, so you can go back fighting whatever scattered group of Decepticons you can find."   
[Roddy.....]   
Refrax drew back and his face closed up. "We are the rebellion, the underground. Remember who it is who is fighting for every Autobot on this planet! You seem to be from one of those better-off places we hear of so often."   
"I wouldn't call it that. We have our own war wounds to lick."   
Drop Zone sneered slightly. "Look at how well-polished he appears. His energon levels seems to be up and there are no scars anywhere. What are you? A collaborator?"   
Rodimus pinned him with an icy glare but didn't rise to the taunting words. "I'd like to leave now," he said, coming aware of Sunride's optics pinned on him in a puzzled frown.   
"Not before we get the answers we seek," Refrax told him calmly. "Who are you really? What are you doing here?"   
"I already told you. My name is Rodimus and I'm looking for a friend of mine."   
"He is a Decepticon spy!" Starburst growled.   
[Shan, this party is getting too wild for my liking. Get ready to leave]   
[You want a full phasing?]   
[No, I want you to distract them, then get back with me while I make a run for it]   
[Okay, you're the boss]   
[Am I ever]   
None of their conversation showed to the outside. Rodimus didn't even tense a single muscle cable.   
"I am no spy, just passing through. Do you treat all Autobots like this?" he asked calmly.   
[Now]   
"Only those changing sides!" Drop Zone snarled.   
"And what about their companions?" Shanygn asked.   
None of the rebel Autobots had seen her appear and for a moment they all turned to stare at the small figure in the exo-suit. Shanygn spread her wings, launched herself into the air and somersaulted over Sunride. Rodimus reacted the same moment and jumped forward, tackling Drop Zone, using the fighting techniques Riverdance had taught him. A swift kick back rid him of the problem Starburst was posing for a second while the Autobot needed to collect himself. By the time he was on his feet, Drop Zone was unconscious, Refrax lay on the floor, groaning, and Sunride was trying to get his wits together. Rodimus had transformed and was racing toward the door they had come from, Shanygn in hot pursuit. She concentrated briefly and phased just before he hit the closed door head on.   
Then they were outside, shooting along the tunnel and finally emerging at break-neck speed into the vastness of sector five.   
[Where to?]   
[I have no idea. Well, maybe a faint one. I got the rough coordinates of the last known female Autobots' base. Maybe Prime is headed there]   
[I have my fingers crossed. But what if he isn't there?]   
Rodimus sighed.   
[Maybe we should split up]   
[Maybe that's a bad idea] he countered.   
[Maybe it's the most logical choice] Shanygn replied. [If we split up we can cover more ground]   
[And you can get shot down more easily!]   
[Thank you for your trust, Mr. Invincible!]   
Rodimus sighed again. [You have never been here before. At least not in this time. You could get hopelessly lost!]   
[I know a bit more than your average humanoid immigrant, my friend. And if I get into trouble I'll jump to your position] Shanygn said patiently.   
Rodimus didn't like it, but he knew it was logical. [There are Decepticons around...]   
[I don't bear an Autobot symbol]   
[They shoot at everything they don't know....]   
[Roddy.....]   
Rodimus stopped and transformed. Shanygn phased out and looked at him. He was torn between his instinct to protect her and his logical side telling him she was right and that she could do it.   
"Okay," he finally said out loud. Instead of a triumphant grin there was only a smile on Shanygn's face that was far from triumphant. "Just be careful," he added.   
"I will." With that she closed her helmet visor and spread her wings, taking off.   
Rodimus watched her go, keeping his link open for any communication coming through, then transformed and drove on to his destination.

* * *

Alpha Trion entered his hidden lab through one of the many tunnels leading to it. He was only mildly surprised to see he had a visitor, who patiently sat on one of the lab chairs.   
"Hello, Myka," Alpha Trion greeted him.   
"I heard about the stranger and I might have something for you," Myka started without preamble. He was a no-nonsense robot who always got his job done and though his team consisted of individuals who seemed to be unable to work together, somehow they managed to.   
"Yes?"   
"Rubin picked up some weird energy discharge which he still has no explanation for. My team and I did a sweep of sector five prior to when the stranger was discovered to see if we find something conclusive, but we found nothing. I left Moonstar to investigate further and he came back with several readings you might be interested in." He handed the older robot some papers and Alpha Trion studied them.   
"An anomaly?"   
"Yes. Moon has a whole file of scientific data but it comes down to some kind of invisible anomaly existing in sector five. He wants to investigate further before the Cons get wind of it. Sector five is still safe so far."   
Alpha Trion nodded. "Get him to send everything to me. I want to have a look at it. No one is to come close to this anomaly."   
"Understood." Myka rose from the chair. "What about the stranger?"   
"Let me worry about him."   
"Okay." With that he was gone.   
Alpha Trion smiled. Unlike others Myka had made it his philosophy never to worry about other people's problems. He had his own share of them and he had enough to worry about.   
Walking over to his desk, Alpha Trion sat down and began to study what Myka had left. It turned out to be an intriguing study.

* * *

"Three days."   
Cyclonus looked up and found a pair of blue optics meeting his red ones. "Yes," was all he answered.   
"Not a single sign of him and he's been gone for three days. I don't like it." Silhouette never raised her voice, delivering the statement in her usual, matter-of-fact tone, the one she used when pleasantly discussing a topic she knew she was right about.   
"Yes." He knew exactly what she was talking about but he was not about to get dragged into an argument with his lieutenant. He had worked with her long enough not to underestimate her.   
"Something is wrong."   
"Unknown."   
"You are starting to sound like Soundwave."   
He lifted one corner of his mouth. "Thank you."   
She returned the humorless smile, then tapped her chin. "Someone should go after him. We don't know how long the anomaly will remain as stable as it is right now. It shouldn't take Roddy that long to find Optimus and bring him home."   
"Don't underestimate Prime."   
She met his optics. "I don't, but I'm also not underestimating Rodimus."   
"Then why do you think he needs help?"   
The wry smile appeared on her lips again. "Because I know him better than you do. He can handle Optimus, but can he handle what is thrown at him in the past?"   
Cyclonus didn't answer her, but he also didn't go back to work.   
"Someone has to go after him," Sil stated.   
"And that would be you." Her expression said it all and Cyclonus had to smile for real now, though it didn't really show. "You wouldn't get as far as three steps."   
"Pray tell me why?"   
"You are too young."   
Sil's expression turned deadly and Cyclonus involuntarily sat back. She leaned forward, hands on his desk. "Care to explain that?" she asked, voice as deadly as her expression.   
"You were born too recently to understand the older Cybertron is what I meant," Cyclonus complied. "Rodimus Prime went back into a time where no alliance had been formed yet, where Megatron was still missing and Cybertron was in a state of all-out war of Autobots against Decepticons."   
"And you know more about this time?"   
Cyclonus' features hardened. "Yes."   
Sil knew she had hit a sore spot there but he had hit one of hers with that remark and she was not about to apologize. He had to handle his past just like she had to handle having to hear about being so young sometimes.   
"You were not on Cybertron around that time either," she now said sweetly and saw his features freeze even more. "You were on Earth," the Dinobot added.   
Cyclonus looked at her for two long seconds and then nodded. "But I lived on this planet longer than you have by now. I know Cybertron from the past and I know it from the last Cybertronian War. I was back on my home planet after Megatron woke once more."   
"So what? Think I can't adapt?" she challenged.   
"I think you might be in more trouble than Rodimus Prime probably is right now."   
Silhouette snorted.   
"And," he added slowly, "you are female."   
Her optics were lethal now and Cyclonus held up his hands. "I am not discriminating you because of your gender, just stating a fact. The female Autobots were in hiding and none of them were seen on the surface for more than maybe a sabotage mission. You'd stand out like a beacon."   
Silhouette's frown deepened even more. "I have an alternate mode, you know."   
Cyclonus sighed and shook his head. "You can't go there alone."   
"Oh, and who should go with me? You?" she mocked.   
"Yes."   
Sil smiled, leaning forward again. "We'd have another problem then." She tapped his Decepticon symbol with one taloned finger.   
"It is removable," Cyclonus said sweetly.   
"Then remove yourself with it. It would be way too dangerous for you to pop up over there."   
"No one knows me. I don't exist in this past." Cyclonus stood and leaned forward as well, his face inches away from his lieutenant's. "And so will you if you don't take back-up along."   
Their optics clashed in a battle of wills. They had had some encounters like this before, mostly when Cyclonus was acting too stiff and too much like a 'drone', as Silhouette called it, for her liking.   
"I could call the Council and ask them for a decision."   
"That's blackmail."   
There was that smile again. "Yes."   
Silhouette lanced more deadly looks at him, but it was to no avail. "You are set on this?"   
"Yes."   
She abruptly straightened. "Then pack your beauty case and meet me in sector five." With that she turned on her heels and left.   
Cyclonus leaned back in his chair and regarded the closed doors for a second, smiling. Then he swiveled it to the left where the access terminal stood, keying in a few commands. He would be gone for maybe a few days and he had to at least lock down the more critical files. A minute later he was done and five minutes later he was on his way.

* * *

They had been on Cybertron for some time now and nothing except for trouble had come out of their mission. Rodimus Prime sighed and scanned the area, noting nothing suspicious and picking up no life forms. He had ducked out of the way of several heavy duty drones who had rumbled by on their way to wherever they were going, and then he had continued. Shanygn had frequently contacted him, but just like him she had had no luck so far. Well, she had had luck in several ways because she had managed to evade Autobot and Decepticon patrols alike, but their luck would soon run out. Where the heck was Optimus?!   
Suddenly there was movement and Rodimus stopped, drawing his gun, ready to defend himself. He hoped he didn't have to go all the way and bodily harm someone, whether it was a Decepticon or an Autobot, because this would seriously influence the time line. Then again, how much had his mere presence, and Shanygn's presence, already influenced their present? Would he even see or feel it when he went back? Rodimus felt a headache creep up. He hated time travel stuff!   
And then the owner of the movement came into sight. Rodimus felt panic hit him, then he shut the lid on it, slipping one of his masks on his face. Alpha Trion.... the last robot he had wanted to meet!   
The first generation Autobot stepped closer and then stopped a safe distance away from him. His ancient blue optics fixed with Rodimus' younger ones and Rodimus strengthened his mask, trying to let nothing slip. His feelings considering Alpha Trion were mixed. He was the creator of Optimus Prime's body; Optimus owed his life to him; the whole Autobot kind owed Alpha Trion because he had saved Orion Pax and gave him new life as Optimus Prime. He had given his life for the Aerialbots to live. But then he had shown Rodimus that everything had been planned before when the younger Prime had been inside Vector Sigma. He had known about Optimus' death, about Hot Rod's succession as the new leader, about everything...... And he had let it all happen. All......   
"You are Rodimus, correct?" Alpha Trion broke the silence between them.   
Someone had informed him. Most likely those Autobots who had caught him in sector five. Rodimus cursed softly. He should have been more careful! He *had* changed history for sure now! He nodded, warily looking around for any hidden underground fighters, wishing Shanygn was with him and not miles away. If the worst came to happen she could phase, but it would cost him valuable seconds.   
Alpha Trion smiled as he saw his wary scanning. "I came here alone. I thought bringing back-up along might just end like the last time. I'm not armed either."   
"I know," Rodimus muttered almost inaudibly.   
Alpha Trion tilted his head a bit. "Ah. Well, I know *you* are armed, and even without a weapon you are able to take out opponents. Refrax was quite impressed with your performance, I have to say." He smiled slightly. "And I am curious as to who and what you are. I know your name, I know you are looking for a friend.... and it seems that though no one knows you, you are no stranger to this place."   
"I am Cybertronian," Rodimus said quietly. "I was born here." So much was at least true and safe to say.   
Alpha Trion nodded. "And you are an Autobot, even though Starburst would like to name you a Decepticon spy. I don't believe you are one. But you are a stranger in many ways. Then there is this friend you are looking for, Orion....right? I knew a robot by this name once. He died."   
"The one I'm looking for is alive. And I desperately need to find him."   
"You seem to know where he is. Refrax followed you as much as he was able to, others picked up your trace when he lost it, and you came here for a specific reason. Is your friend Orion here?"   
"I hoped he would be. I seem to be wrong," Rodimus answered slowly.   
"Or is it maybe because you haven't reached your destination yet?"   
"Listen, whatever you want, I have no time to waste. If you could track me, then you must have seen him come through here as well."   
"Describe him to me then."   
[Oh, damn... he'll recognize him the moment you give him Optimus' description] Shanygn whispered urgently through the wide open Interface link.   
[I know, I know!]   
"Taller than me, an Autobot, and he transforms into a trucking vehicle," Rodimus said vaguely.   
Alpha Trion stroked his beard, coming closer. His ancient optics seemed to see right through him. "Any specific mark we can recognize him by?"   
"No."   
"No special features? No scars? Coloring?"   
"Not really."   
Alpha Trion stopped in front of him. "Might he go by another name while he is here, looking for whatever it is he came here to find?"   
"I don't think so."   
Their optics met and Rodimus held the ancient gaze, calling up his every shield to keep them from prying to deeply. He had faced worse than this, he had even faced Alpha Trion as a ghost once, and he could win!   
"Why do you lie to me, Rodimus?"   
Nothing twitched in his optics, but inside Rodimus flinched away.   
[He knows] Shanygn muttered.   
[He suspects, nothing more!]   
"I don't know what you are talking about."   
"I know a lie when I see and hear it. And you are lying to protect something. Not your friend, not yourself...something else. What is it?"   
He was silent.   
"Friends?" Alpha Trion guessed.   
"I am wasting my time." Rodimus turned to go, but a surprisingly strong hand held him back.   
"Yes, you are wasting time, Rodimus. Time you could use searching for your friend. But if you don't tell me who you are looking for we can't help you."   
"I wasn't asking for your help!"   
"Why not?"   
"Because it doesn't involve you."   
"But I think it does. More than you want us to know."   
Rodimus was startled and cursed himself for his reaction. What could the old robot know anyway? He had never seen Rodimus Prime and Rodimus couldn't remember ever seeing Alpha Trion as Hot Rod, at least not before Optimus had come back from the dead once more.   
"Sunride knows you."   
"Impossible."   
Alpha Trion smiled. "Well, he didn't say 'you', but he gave you another name. Hot Rod. He said Hot Rod looked a little bit different than you, but he was sure that you and him are the same person, which seems to be impossible. Refrax checked on Hot Rod's last location and it is light-years away from here. Who are you?"   
Rodimus pulled his arm out of the older robot's grasp. "I told you who I am and that is all you have to know. Now it you please excuse me...." He started to walk away, aware of Shanygn's nearby presence.   
[He knows!] Shanygn insisted. [And maybe he could give us a helping hand]   
[Shan, we can't involve anyone from the past! It's to dangerous!]   
[It's even more dangerous not to. Optimus knows where he is headed, we are only guessing. Alpha Trion is someone he trusts, the one who gave him life, who helped him to be reborn! If anyone knows where Aleeta is and how to find Optimus, it is him]   
Rodimus shook his head. [No. We can do it. I want to try and locate the Matrix, but to do that I need to get away from everyone who might draw the right conclusions]   
She sighed. [Okay, be my guest]   
Rodimus transformed and drove off. [Do me a favor and watch for shadows and prying eyes, okay]   
[Sure]

*

"Who is he?"   
Alpha Trion turned and looked at Refrax. "I'm not sure, but I have a suspicion. You said Sunride thinks he is a friend of his, but he looks different and behaves different. I think that this Rodimus is connected to Sunride's friend Hot Rod, but not in any way we might suspect."   
"What now?"   
"Nothing."   
"But Alpha Trion!"   
"You go back to your duties, Refrax. You have an important mission to run and I don't want you distracted. I know where he is going."   
"It could be dangerous to follow him," Refrax said cautiously. "I saw him move.... he is not a normal Autobot."   
"But he also isn't the enemy. Trust my judgment, Refrax." Alpha Trion smiled.   
"I do, but...."   
"You have your orders and you and your team have to leave soon to fulfill the mission. Go."   
Refrax sighed. "Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you." With that he disappeared.   
Alpha Trion smiled once more, then gazed thoughtfully into the distance where the stranger, Rodimus, had disappeared.

* * *

"We have an increase of chrono particles," Lightspeed reported, a worried expression crossing his features. "Unstable particles....."   
Perceptor frowned as well and called up more data. It didn't look much better from another point of view and the whole thing was starting to worry him.   
"Perceptor?"   
He looked up and was surprised to see Midnight. The Sentinel leader was accompanied by a robot he had once met several decades ago when the underground had risen to join the alliance. His name was Myka and he was a robot of undefined abilities and a specialist in many fields. Perceptor only knew that he led a small group that had survived the war years almost without losses and worked in one of the research outposts.   
"Yes?"   
"What's the status?"   
Perceptor glanced at Myka, but since Midnight had brought him along and had asked this question, he guessed Myka was either in on it or it was okay to talk and Midnight would sort it out later.   
"The anomaly has started to emit an increase of chrono particles. The rate is 5.492 percent and it is growing by 0.98 every hour. Breakdown has started."   
Midnight turned and looked over to the now heavily guarded area. Flashes of barely perceptible white light could be seen. "How long?" he asked.   
"At this rate, about thirteen more hours."   
"Impossible!" Myka now said and shook his head.   
"Excuse me? You want to invalidate my last calculations?"   
"No, of course not, Perceptor, but this time window lasted for six days! How long has it been open now? One? Two days?"   
"Three."   
Myka shook his head again. "It lasted longer."   
"How do you know?"   
"I was there," Myka stated flatly. "I know. It went up after six days, not any minute earlier!"   
Perceptor was confused. "You were there?"   
"Yes, I was there. I ordered Rubin to analyze what had hit sector five and that was what came out of the whole research. I know what happened!"   
"Maybe time was changed...."   
Myka shot him a look that told Perceptor what he thought of this theory. Arrogant wanna-be! the scientist thought, feeling uncharacteristically taunted by this Autobot.   
"It lasted six days," he repeated.   
"Perceptor, is there any way to stabilize the time window?" Midnight now asked, his brisk question focusing Perceptor's attention back on track.   
"Possible. Disaster and I worked on a particle ray gun that allows a wide net of stabilizing....."   
"Do it!" Midnight ordered without hearing him out. "Whatever you come up with, try it! I want this time hole stabilized!"   
"Yes, sir!"   
"And Myka? You stay here. Help Perceptor with whatever you can. I don't care what you do, but do it! We have two people over there and I want them back here before this anomaly blows!"   
Myka nodded, shooting Perceptor a look. Perceptor only returned it with a sour one of his own.

* * *

Rodimus had chosen a lonely place, hoping it was secure enough for his task. It wouldn't take long, but if Decepticons found him he was in trouble. He didn't want to fight any of them because even the slightest injury sustained from someone who wasn't even supposed to be here might lead to catastrophic changes in the future. His conversation with the group of Autobots, Alpha Trion in particular, had been bad enough.   
"Okay," he muttered. "Let's go for it."   
Shanygn had come back and was currently phased out of him, making way for the space where the Matrix had once sat to act. Rodimus dimmed his optics and reached inside of him, looking for the link to his friend he knew existed. It was a faint bond, one only felt when either one of them was in distress or under extreme emotional stress, but it was strong enough to withstand whatever had been thrown at them. Rodimus found it and attached himself to it, trying to find out where it ended. He was faintly aware of Shanygn still with him in his mind, guiding him, then there was only the Matrix link.   


Shanygn had her weapons ready, scanners on full, watching out for enemies. She knew Rodimus would be almost totally helpless for a few minutes or more until he was sure where the Matrix was located. Until he came out she had to take care of him. Suddenly there was movement. She tensed and raised her weapons.   
"Wait," a quiet voice said.   
Shanygn flinched and then stared at the robot stepping around the corner and out of the shadows. It was Alpha Trion again. He was alone, he didn't bear any visible arms and he had his hands spread to tell he she was not in danger from him. Then again, he was several times her size and he might think he could simply step on her.   
"Stay where you are," she said just as quietly and pointed her weapon at him.   
"I'm not armed and I want to help."   
"Then leave."   
"I think I know what you are looking for and I believe I know where he is heading."   
"If you think I'm about to spill it because of some vague phrases...."   
Alpha Trion smiled and his gaze wandered over Rodimus' still, prone form. "Your friend is something special. I noticed it the moment I met him. He has the aura of someone I know very well, someone I haven't seen in millennia. Many think he perished but I believe he is still alive. He went to save our world and he will come back eventually. And now here is your friend. He is young, too young to be the one I know, but he is so much like him. He came here looking for someone whose name I haven't heard in such a long time."   
Shanygn's face betrayed nothing and she continued to point her weapon at him. It looked small from a Cybertronian's point of view, but it was powerful enough to severely dent his armor, maybe even pierce it.   
"You are looking for Orion... His name wouldn't be Orion Pax? Or Optimus Prime as he is called now?"   
Her features were frozen into a mask.   
"Your friend has the aura of the Matrix. I have to know. I kept it safe for a very long time. Strangely enough he only has the aura and doesn't bear it," Alpha Trion went on. "And Sunride told me he has met him before, somewhere else... as someone else. Someone called Hot Rod. Then there is you. I have never seen a creature like you before; or with your abilities."   
"One of my abilities is to shoot you right between the optics if you keep this up," Shanygn said coldly, faintly aware of Rodimus strengthening the Matrix link and coming back, knowing where to go.   
Alpha Trion's smile never wavered. "I know. But I also know that you wouldn't do it, right? Because whatever you do here, it will change everything."   
Shanygn's felt a cheek muscle twitch involuntarily. And then Rodimus returned, gasping, sitting bolt upright, grasping his chest as if he was in pain. His optics flared in bright blue and she was aware of his cry of pain through their link. He had touched an object he had carried for a long time, which had been removed, which had left a gaping black hole inside of him and which had finally healed when he had Interfaced with Shanygn. The Matrix was sending out pulses of pain, an emotional pain coming from Optimus Prime, and it was overwhelming Rodimus who hadn't had Shanygn to buffer the Matrix reaching out for him. She now touched his mind, calming him, feeling him grasp hold of the virtual hand she gave him, stabilizing within seconds.   
And for those few seconds they were plain vulnerable. Shanygn focused back on the robot she held at gun point and found him watching them with an intrigued expression in his optics. Rodimus became aware of him half a second later.   
"Oh...." he whispered hoarsely.   
Alpha Trion kept the calming smile on his face and held up his hands. "I came here to help and as I can see, you need it. You found it, right? And it is calling for you."   
"What?"   
"Why don't you stop hiding and start trusting?"   
Rodimus laboriously climbed to his feet, one hand still clasping his chest plate. "Because it is too dangerous."   
"I'm not your enemy," Alpha Trion said quietly.   
"I'm not talking about personal danger. I'm talking about everything," Rodimus insisted.   
"Where do you come from?"   
"I can't tell you."   
"Why? Because you actually can't or because you won't?"   
"Because I can't. And you can't know."   
The older Autobot tilted his head thoughtfully. "I see. You came here to find Optimus Prime, but why? How did Optimus come back here? He has been missing for millions of years..... And who is he for real?"   
Rodimus shook his head. "I can't tell you!"   
"Because it is too dangerous for me."   
The young Autobot nodded. Alpha Trion looked at him, then at Shanygn, and he nodded slowly.   
"You are looking for Optimus Prime and the way you are headed I think I know where he is going," he finally said. "I can take you there through short cuts." Rodimus started to shake his head, but Alpha Trion held up one hand. "I know you don't want me involved, but I already am, Rodimus."   
"Yes, but it would involve you further," he protested.   
"How can you tell if you haven't already done too much and talked to me for too long?"   
He stared at the older one. "I don't know what you are talking about," Rodimus finally said hoarsely.   
"Of course."   
[Roddy, how does he know?!] Shanygn whispered.   
[He is Alpha Trion]   
[That's not an answer! It's his name. Damnit, he is not omniscient!]   
[Maybe he is....]   
[Bullshit]   
"You can accept my help," Alpha Trion now said, "or you can drive on alone and on your own, maybe never finding your friend. What will it be? You are not yet in Decepticon controlled country, but where you want to go you are closing in on their turf. They are spreading out their reign of terror and we have seen some strays even here. The closer you get, the more dangerous it will be, and even if you are not afraid of them, you won't stand a chance against a whole battalion."   
[Shan?]   
[I don't know. What if he finds out even more?]   
[I think he knows most of the truth already and the rest... he will piece it together]   
She sighed and shrugged, then became aware of Alpha Trion watching them. He must have noticed something about the conversation which had happened only through the link.   
"Okay," Rodimus said slowly.   
Alpha Trion nodded and transformed, leading the way into the next building and then underground. Rodimus followed, scanners running on full, ready for any kind of ambush.

* * *

"No."   
Cold blue optics met his and Midnight knew he was talking against a wall of steel surrounding a mind of titanium. Silhouette was set on what she wanted to do and there was no stopping her.   
"He has been there for three days and your only link to this time is breaking down," she stated calmly.   
"One more reason why I can't allow you to go."   
"Midnight, he needs help!"   
Midnight put a lid on his rising aura. "I said no!"   
"You want to leave them in the past?" Cyclonus now entered the conversation, voice as level as Silhouette's.   
"No, and they will get back."   
"How do you know?"   
"Because I know it. They are here today because they made it back! Myka was in this past when the anomaly appeared and he said the time hole broke down after six days, and the stranger Alpha Trion once talked about was never seen again."   
"Now you are falling into the trap of time travel," Sil stated. "Maybe Roddy already altered the past and he won't come back. If he doesn't, the whole past 5912 years might change because he lived them here on Cybertron – as Rodimus Prime! He got back and he had help for it!"   
"How do you know this isn't where you misunderstand time travel?" Midnight asked provocatively.   
"Because I don't."   
"Sil...."   
"Don't 'Sil' me, Midnight! You know there is trouble because Roddy isn't back yet!" Sil growled dangerously.   
Midnight glared angrily and his aura flared slightly. Silhouette didn't seem to notice. "It's too dangerous!"   
"Maybe, but what if Roddy won't come back before the whole damn gate breaks down? What if we could have saved him?"   
Midnight warred with his inner reason. He knew there was a possibility.... maybe.... Damn! "All right!" he finally exploded. "You can go, but you will be back in two days! You are getting chronometers and I want you back here in one piece or I'm coming after you personally, understood?!"   
Sil saluted. "Yessir!"   
"Cut it out!" Midnight snapped.   
She smiled humorlessly and turned, walking away. Cyclonus, who had remained where he was, his arms crossed in front of his chest, shrugged as Midnight looked at him.

*

The time window was more visible now, which was maybe due to the strange device Perceptor had had brought from his lab. It looked like a giant ball on a stick with antennae stuck to it. Whatever it was, it was doing a rather good job keeping the portal open, or so Lightspeed had assured Midnight. But it was still breaking down and there was no stopping the inevitable, only prolonging the little time they had left. And now four of their people where over there, in the wrong time, in the wrong place....   
Midnight didn't like it.   
He actually very much hated it.

* * *

So this was it. It didn't look much different from the Cybertron she knew, except that everything had a much older, more used and very much bombed look. Silhouette, transformed into her raptor mode to be more inconspicuous than in her robot mode, looked around. Cyclonus was at her side, his optics warily scanning for enemy movement.   
"What now?" he asked.   
"We try and find Rodimus."   
He shot her a sarcastic look. "And how?"   
"How hard do you think a flaming red, yellow and orange truck is to find?"   
"Good question." Cyclonus transformed into his aerial form. "I'll have a look from above. Be careful where you step and keep the com lines open."   
"Yes, sir!" She saluted lazily and watched Cyclonus fly off with a grin, then began her own search.

* * *

"Oh, damn!" Rodimus hissed and went for cover, half of the wall he was hiding behind going up in a shower of debris. He frantically looked for Alpha Trion. "Get down!"   
The older robot ducked behind some containers and the attackers swooped overhead, coming around for a second run. Rodimus had his gun in one hand, ready to shoot, but he didn't.   
They had come out of the tunnel because part of the ceiling had collapsed, probably from an earlier attack, and they had been forced to surface – right into a Decepticon patrol unit. And this unit, consisting of three airborne Cons, was now keeping them pinned down.   
"We have to get out of here," Shanygn hissed.   
"I know, but how? I can't shoot them!"   
Shanygn knew they had a problem because of that. It wasn't that Rodimus had reservations to shoot the enemy, but he knew what the effect would be. Or better: he didn't know what the effect would be. He only knew that he didn't belong into this time and was changing it with every step. Shooting at the attackers, wounding or even seriously injuring them, would result in changes of the future. Rodimus gave off some warning shots, but tried to keep them as far away from hitting a Decepticon as possible.   
"Any way out of here?" he called to Alpha Trion.   
"No, not really."   
The young Autobot sighed. "Great!"   
"I could ...." Shanygn started.   
Rodimus shot her a sharp look. "You could nothing, Shanygn! I won't risk losing you in some petty attack!"   
"Then how do you want to get out of here?"   
They ducked under a new attack, this one coming much too close for Rodimus' liking. He hissed angrily.   
Suddenly something shot into the formation of Decepticon jets and scattered them. The attacker came back for another round, pounding the Cons with laser fire and then shot off. The three jets turned and started to give chase.   
"Uhm, Roddy...." Shanygn said ominously. "Is it me or did our rescuer look suspiciously like Cyclonus?"   
Rodimus straightened carefully. "Yes..... But how.....?"   
"Anybody call for help?" a familiar voice called.   
Rodimus whirled around and his jaw threatened to hit the floor. "Sil!!"   
"The one and only." Silhouette stepped around some scattered boxes. She was in her raptor mode.   
"How... Why....What the heck are you doing here?" Rodimus finally exploded.   
"Oh, you are welcome! Glad I could help," she said sourly. "As to your question: the same way you did."   
"I said no one was to follow me!"   
"You were gone for three days!"   
"Three....?" He looked at Shanygn and she only shrugged. "Impossible."   
"Very much possible. Cyclonus and I went after you. Looks like we were right and you are in trouble." She smiled.   
Alpha Trion walked over from where he had been hiding and he looked at Silhouette with curious optics. She shot him a wary look, then glanced at Rodimus.   
"I see you have friends here," Alpha Trion said quietly. "But whoever the one is who led them off, the Decepticons won't chase him forever."   
"True. Sil...."   
"You go ahead and stop Op..." she stopped. "Stop him," she finished. "I'll wait for Cyclonus to return. And don't worry. I can watch out for myself."   
Reluctantly, Rodimus agreed. "Be careful," he said softly.   
She only smiled.   
Alpha Trion shot the latest new-arrival another look, then gestured Rodimus to follow him. They quickly disappeared.   


"Your friend..... a female?"   
Rodimus ignored the older robot next to him, keeping his face a mask.   
"Intriguing. Especially considering that the female Autobots went into hiding a long time ago, and that she has a form I have never seen before," he went conversationally.   
Rodimus shot him an icy look and Alpha Trion smiled slightly. The rest of the way they continued without speaking.

* * *

Empty.   
Then base was empty.....   
Optimus Prime stood in the underground hide-out, looking around. There were dead computer consoles, ripped open panels, overturned chairs and small pieces of debris littering the floor. Everything had been left in a hurry, but still nothing personal, nothing important, nothing at all had been left behind. The females Autobots had left without a trace. He was too late.   
Walking the length of the room he racked his memory unit. Aleeta had once told him about the bases she had on Cybertron and all Optimus had to do was find out where the one she was hiding in was. It would take a long time. And it would be dangerous.   
Optimus gazed thoughtfully at a shattered screen. He had time. Over 5000 years to be exact. The only problem was that the longer he stayed here, the more certain it was that someone would follow him here. Maybe someone was already after him. He sighed. He had to go on.

* * *

"I don't like it. I really don't like it," Midnight muttered, optics fixed on the now plainly visible time window. It was a maelstrom of energy, sucking in the chrono particles all over the place, as Perceptor had explained. It was collapsing and taking all its molecules with it.   
"We are doing all we can, Midnight," Perceptor assured him, sounding more nervous than yesterday. Midnight knew why. Nothing they were doing was slowing down the process any further.   
"I know," he mumbled. "Just keep it up."   
"Of course."   
As Perceptor left, Myka stepped beside the Sentinel leader. "He is actually doing more than even I thought was possible to do. Nice gizmo he cobbled together, but the result will be the same."   
Midnight gave a low growl. He knew Perceptor was doing all he could, but by now it was no longer counteracting the natural breakdown of the time window.   
"One more day," he whispered, almost as if it were a prayer.   
Myka nodded. "They will make it."   
"They have to make it."   
The Autobot smiled. "They already did, so don't worry so much."   
Midnight shot him a wry look. "I hate time travel stuff, but one thing I remember from reading about it is, whatever you do in the past, it changes the future."   
"We are the future, the changed future," Myka told him. "I remember the past and what happened, so they made it and came back for this event to happen."   
"What if the past is already changing and still in motion, and what you remember is nothing but realigned history?" Midnight asked. "We wouldn't know what the real present is because the past and present are linked together. Change the past and you change the present we live in."   
"But for the past as it is and as I remember it to happen, Rodimus Prime, as well as Optimus Prime, must return. They already returned in a way."   
Midnight sighed. "Our memories could change any minute without us even feeling it. Maybe our next conversation no longer includes them because they were left in the past. Maybe you won't even remember me because without Rodimus the Sentinels won't come back to Cybertron." He rubbed his forehead. "Damn, this whole time thing is giving me a headache!"   
Myka chuckled. "I know. Me too."   
Both looked at the maelstrom before them. The edges appeared fuzzy, somewhat frayed, and sometimes chunks simply sizzled and popped out of existence, only to be replaced by an even more unstable piece. On the other side were four people who didn't belong where they were right now. Midnight only prayed that they would all come back.

* * *

Rodimus was following the call of the Matrix. It was like a beacon, calling out for him, confronting him with what his partner felt, what he was going through, what had been in the past, and what had been revived through all of this. It was bad; very, very bad. Shanygn had taken over scanning for enemy movement since Rodimus was using every inch of concentration to home in on the Matrix. And it finally got them exactly where he had wanted to arrive. Optimus Prime, transformed in his truck mode, stopped and immediately shifted shape. Rodimus did the same, noticing that his friend was armed and holding the gun in a way that indicated he was intent on using it on Rodimus as well.   
[Uh-oh]   
[You say it] he muttered, spreading his hands. "Hi, Optimus," he said casually.   
"Rodimus?! What are you doing here?" the older Prime wanted to know, sounding confused.   
"Looking for you. You went MIA and I was worried."   
"I have to resolve something, then I'm coming back," Optimus told him.   
"You can't."   
"What?"   
"I said you can't," Rodimus repeated. "You can't resolve what you came here to do and I'll stop you from doing it anyway." The blue optics darkened and Optimus glanced around. "I didn't bring back-up along," Rodimus added softly. "I am alone."   
"Leave," Optimus commanded.   
"No. Optimus, please! You don't know what you are doing!"   
Prime whirled around and stared at his second-in-command, someone who was his closest friend and about the only person who shared nearly the same history he had.   
"I know exactly what I'm doing," he said quietly, too quietly for Rodimus' liking.   
"No, you don't! You are about to destroy everything!"   
"I am about to rebuild what has been lost, Rodimus!"   
The younger Prime shook his head. "No! You are meddling with Time! With History! Whatever you change here, it will have an impact on our future!"   
"Yes! It will have an impact! Aleeta will be alive!"   
Rodimus approached him. "And with her life, others will die!"   
"No! Why do you deny me this one chance to right the wrong?!" Optimus demanded.   
"I'm not denying you anything! But you have to realize what you are doing! Please!"   
Optimus' optics glowed almost feverishly. "I know what I'm doing, Roddy. I am changing hell into heaven!"   
He wanted to walk past the other robot, but Rodimus grabbed his arm. "Think! Just think what you are about to do! What will happen if Aleeta is alive again?"   
"I will be happy!"   
"No! I mean, yes, you will be happy, but a lot of things *won't* happen!"   
"You don't know what you are talking about!"   
"I do!" Rodimus declared. "Perceptor went through the history files and we found out what might change! If you and Aleeta are back together, the Tji might win the war!"   
Optimus stopped, his optics narrowing. "What stupid reasoning is that?" he growled.   
"Just stop and think about it, Op!" the younger Autobot pleaded. "The Venerakkin helped us defeat the Tji, but only because they were there at the time. They stayed even though Firefall was gone, but they stayed not because she had ordered it but because Rikkochet didn't want to leave!"   
The optics narrowed even more.   
"She was interested in you and was hoping for a relationship, right? She stayed because she wanted to get to know you! Had they left, we would have lost!"   
"You don't know that! It's theory!" Optimus argued.   
"Yes, we don't know that, but do you want to risk it? Do you want to return home to a life with Aleeta that will end in death?"   
Optimus glared at him. "It doesn't have to be! We know what will happen! We can prepare!"   
"You are changing history!" Rodimus cried. "Out of some selfish little idea! You will destroy everything because of it!"   
The reaction was more violent than he had thought. Optimus pushed him back against the wall, his hand clamping around his neck like a vice, his optics a bright furious blue.   
"Shut up!"   
"Optimus, please....!" Rodimus croaked.   
"You don't know what it means to be alone! You never lost the only one you ever loved! You have Silhouette!" he accused.   
"I lost loved ones as well! Through many battles and through the wars.....urgh!"   
Optimus' grip strengthened, choking him off. "What did you lose? Arcee? Because you became Prime? Well, she is still alive. Who else? Warriors? I lost my closest friends in one single Decepticon attack on Autobot City! What did you lose for real, Rodimus Prime?"   
[Roddy!]   
[No, Shan, let me handle this!]   
"I'm about to lose you." Rodimus stared at the optics fixing his own, hands clawing at Optimus' grip to loosen it a bit. "Op, please...."   
"I have the chance to return some of the happiness stolen from me, so why don't you leave!" the Autobot leader whispered hoarsely and then flung him aside.   
Rodimus caught himself from falling, stumbling. "Optimus, no!" He stopped as he looked into the business end of a gun. "No...." he pleaded.   
"Leave." It was one word, but the voice relayed more than just a simple warning. It was a threat.   
[Rodimus!]   
[I know.... Get ready]   
All he needed was a distraction.... and there was one. It came in the most unsuspected guise.   
"Optimus Prime."   
The voice seemed to echo through the alley, bouncing off the buildings, but it was so quiet that it had to be his imagination. And it was enough to let Prime's concentration waver.   
"Alpha Trion?" he whispered.   
"Yes, Optimus Prime, it is me. What are you doing?" the old Autobot asked.   
Prime began to tremble slightly. "Change my life! Saving Aleeta's life!"   
Alpha Trion's optics briefly met Rodimus' and the younger Prime thought he saw understanding and worry there. "No, you are destroying everything you care about."   
"No! You have no idea....!"   
"I think I do. I think I know what is going to happen and it fills me with as much fear and sadness as you feel right now, felt all the time.... but changing the past doesn't mean a happy future, my child."   
"No!" Optimus protested, shaking more. "She doesn't have to die!"   
"Maybe it is her fate, just like it is mine."   
Rodimus accessed his Interface link, getting ready. If Alpha Trion didn't convince his student... then he would have to act.   
"It is no one's fate to die! I have the chance to change it all and I will use it!" Optimus declared.   
"And kill many more," the first-generation robot added quietly.   
"How can you say that?!"   
"Because the fate of one individual influences the fate of many. My death will set into motion many events and all of them helped to insure the safety of many more. Aleeta's death will do the same. Should any of those who were killed in the past survive through your meddling, they change history with every beat of their fuel pump."   
"Lies!" Optimus cried. "I won't let her die!" He whirled around and met the determined face of his second-in-command. "And if you won't let me save her in the past, I'm going to bring her with me into the future!"   
"Optimus, no!"   
"Time will heal itself, Optimus Prime," Alpha Trion made the Autobot leader focus his attention back on him. "Save her now and she will die at another occasion. The outcome will be the same. Aleeta One does not exist in your time and she never will. If you bring her with you, she won't exist."   
"She will!"   
"No, she won't. For history, she has died in the past. She will phase out of existence the moment you go back."   
"I don't believe you!" Optimus cried and turned around again, determined to finish what he had started. "Let me pass or I'll shoot you!" he hissed.   
"No," Rodimus stated quietly.   
Prime raised his weapon again, but this time he was way too slow – at least for an Interfaced robot. Rodimus' hand came up with such a speed it was nearly a blur. His weapon was on the highest stun setting and Prime took the blast right into the stomach. He crumbled down with an expression of disbelief. Rodimus inhaled deeply and sent the weapon back into subspace.   
"I'm sorry, my friend," he whispered.   
"You did the only right thing," Alpha Trion said as he walked closer.   
Rodimus flinched and looked up, meeting the ancient optics. "Maybe. But I know he will remember for the rest of his life and he will never forgive me for it."   
"He will. In time. And he will realize what he was about to do." Alpha Trion smiled. "He always was a stubborn individual, something that let him survive his almost fatal wounds, something that made him the great leader he still is."   
Rodimus nodded slowly. "Still.... all he wanted was his own happiness and I denied him the chance."   
"Wrong, young one. You saved millions of lives, you kept your time line healthy, didn't let it decay into a dangerous future," Alpha Trion contradicted him. "You went through the same hell he did to come here, to help... I couldn't wish for a better friend for my student."   
"He won't see it this way. I betrayed him."   
"He will think so at first, yes, but he will change his mind soon. Let him calm down and assess the situation."   
Rodimus only sighed. He already hated the discussion that would follow this little adventure. A jet passing overhead got him out of his musings and he recognized Cyclonus who now transformed and touched down. Silhouette appeared a second later, still in raptor mode. She transformed, disregarding the fact that she would now be plainly visible as a female Autobot to whoever was watching, and stared at Optimus.   
"Uhm, what happened?"   
"No time to explain," Rodimus answered. "We have to get him back." He looked at Cyclonus. "Can you carry him?"   
"Of course."   
Cyclonus transformed back into flight mode and lowered two hooks. Rodimus fastened them to the unconscious Autobot leader and Cyclonus carefully took off. Rodimus nodded at Silhouette.   
"Let's go."   
Both transformed, followed by Alpha Trion, and raced off. As they closed in on sector five, using the securest route and covered by some underground fighters neither ever saw but knew were watching, Alpha Trion took the lead and sent a quick call to the team around the time window. Rodimus had never seen either of the two Autobots before.   
Shanygn phased out, startling them both but neither made a comment. The larger just glanced curiously at her. Cyclonus landed, transforming, and carefully laid Optimus Prime down.   
"Alpha Trion?" the smaller one asked, optics wide. "That's...."   
"A visitor, Myka," the older Autobot answered.   
Myka shrugged. "Okay." He looked like that was about all the explanation he needed to live happily ever after. "Sector five is still secure. No Cons around. But you should take a look at the anomaly...."   
"Uhm, Roddy....." Shanygn said ominously, almost simultaneously to Myka's comment.   
"I see it," Rodimus muttered, voice strangely numb even to his own audio sensors.   
They stared at the time window and Rodimus had this queasy feeling deep down inside his fuel pump. The portal to their time was plainly visible now and it was nothing but a maelstrom of raw chrono energy. Flashes shot off into the dark from it and other flashes returned, striking its center or edges, breaking chunks off.   
"It's rapidly breaking down," Alpha Trion said quietly. "You have to hurry or you are stuck here."   
Rodimus nodded and looked at his unconscious friend and partner. Optimus had not woken and he hoped he wouldn't before they got home. Silhouette joined them while Cyclonus stayed behind, warily scanning for anyone trying to either shoot them or blow the place up.   
"Sil, you and Cyclonus go through first. Take Optimus along. Inform the others we are right behind you," Rodimus finally ordered.   
"I don't like this idea, Roddy. You go through with Optimus first. We'll cover your back."   
His optics grew hard. "That was not a request, it was an order!"   
Annoyance swamped her features. "You pulling rank on me?"   
"Yes, I am, now move it!"   
The annoyance transformed into anger and Rodimus knew he would have to face one irate Dinobot on the other side. But there was no other way. Optimus' life came first and Rodimus' duty and responsibilities as a commander were to see that his troops got home as well.   
"Her reasoning was logical," Alpha Trion now said and shot Rodimus a strange look.   
"Maybe, but it's unacceptable."   
"Because you might lose her?"   
Rodimus shot him a sharp look. "No, because I might leave my troops behind. That is unacceptable."   
"I understand. A commander's responsibility. But being Prime means more than this, my young friend." Rodimus' head snapped around and he stared at the older Autobot. "Did you think you could hide this from me, Rodimus Prime? You once received the Matrix, you became Prime and through circumstances I won't ask, Optimus now has it back. I can think of several reasons why you had the Matrix, though. And I think I know who you were before you became Rodimus Prime."   
Rodimus was shocked to the core. This should not have happened! He had definitely changed the past now. Myka was luckily out of earshot, as was the other robot who had never been introduced, both checking for enemy movement.   
"I won't let anyone know the story," Alpha Trion assured him. "Your secret is safe with me. I'll see what the future holds for me and everyone else, even though I know part of it now. Still, many things might change, many things might happen differently from what I could imagine them to be..... and many might never even occur."   
"We have to go," Shanygn said quietly.   
Rodimus nodded. Silhouette and Cyclonus had already taken Optimus and were approaching the time window. She looked back and he nodded almost imperceptibly at her, wishing her luck.   
The maelstrom swallowed them.   
And tiny explosions raged over the surface. Rodimus and Shanygn ducked instinctively as lightning bolts of raw energy hit everything around them, scorching the metal surfaces.   
"You have to go now!" Alpha Trion shouted over the din of the suddenly erupting energy storm.   
"Shan!" Rodimus yelled.   
"Right behind you!"   
"Phase!"   
"Too dangerous!"   
Rodimus stared at her. "What?!"   
"We'll be safer to go through separately in case something happens to us in there. Roddy, phasing means a bond on a molecular level....."   
"It means safety!"   
"You can stay here and argue or you can go through," Alpha Trion interrupted them kindly.   
"Phase!" Rodimus growled angrily. Shanygn shrugged and he felt the familiar tingle of her presence inside him. "All right, let's go home."   
And he ran into the maelstrom.

* * *

Midnight saw the time window twitch and suddenly bulge outwards. There was a thunderous roar, a blaze of energy surging into the sky and the warning wails of the stabilizer alarm.   
"Overload!" Scattershot cried. "It's gonna blow any second!"   
"Not yet, not yet, "Myka muttered almost hypnotically. "It's not yet time for that!"   
And then the portal spewed out three forms.   
"Silhouette!" Midnight exclaimed, then his visor flashed brightly. "Optimus, oh no!"   
Silhouette staggered, able to uphold her balance. Cyclonus briefly reached out to steady her, then let go of her arm again, looking like it had never happened. Several helpers were running toward them, two grabbing Optimus Prime's unresponsive form and dragging him away from the time window.   
"Silhouette, where is Rodimus?!" Midnight yelled.   
"Still on the other side!"   
The roar increased and the maelstrom twisted completely out of shape. One of the stabilizers blew in a shower of sparks and metal.   
"Number two is going to blow any second now as well!" Lightspeed announced.   
Midnight took several steps toward the window when a hand held him back.   
"Mid, no...." Sil whispered.   
"Rodimus is still on the other side! We have to get him out of there!"   
"You will only trap yourself in it!"   
"Sil....!"   
And then something shot out of the energy hole, accompanied by a stream of fire and bright sparks. Tendrils of the time window clung to the figure, wrapped around the limbs and body. The figure was surrounded by a bright white halo and struggling hard to free itself, but to no avail.   
"Rodimus!" Midnight cried.   
"No!" Silhouette exclaimed almost simultaneously.   
And then the time window blew. It went up in a bright fire of raw energy mixed with chrono particles, washing over the sector, wrecking havoc to everything it touched. The second stabilizer melted into a puddle of steaming metal, the research station was flattened and the Autobots and Decepticons at the site desperately clung to whatever they could. Midnight felt his aura erupt in a black fire around him, shielding him as best as possible against the raging storm as he ran toward Rodimus. The young Autobot had collapsed, curled up on the ground, optics a dim blue.   
"Come on, Roddy, move it!" Midnight hissed and grabbed him, his aura-protected fingers leaving sizzling marks on the brightly colored skin. He dragged his friend away from the rogue time hole.   
A second explosion hit and threw both of them forward. Midnight was dimly aware of something colliding with him and Rodimus, then he was hitting the ground and the fire of the explosion rolled over him.   
It took some time for him to realize that everything was over. The ringing in his audio receptors was decreasing, but his skin tingled from what raw energy had hit him. Miraculously he didn't seem to be injured, except for some mild bruises.   
Steve?>>   
Here....I think>> came the slightly confused reply from his partner. Geez.....>>   
Midnight turned and looked for Rodimus, discovering him next to him on the ground, apparently unconscious. His formerly brightly colored skin was scorched and blackened and he seemed to have sustained severe burns on his legs and hips.   
"Roddy!"   
Midnight looked around and saw Silhouette running over to them through a wasteland of smoking debris and molten metal. Sector five looked like a war zone.   
"He's alive," he calmed the Dinobot and staggered to his feet. "Get a medic over here!" he then yelled at some of the emerging Cybertronians.   
Rodimus groaned softly and his optics lit up. Silhouette gave a sigh of relief, though her features betrayed nothing of what she felt.   
"Everyone all right?" Rodimus asked weakly.   
"Yep. Just a bit bruised."   
"Good."   
"Next time," Sil said as she helped him up, holding on to his arm as he swayed badly, "you go first. And that is an order!"   
Rodimus grinned half-heartedly. "Yes, ma'm!" Then his optics widened as he discovered another Autobot approaching. "You?!"   
Myka smiled slightly. "Yes, me. Welcome home, Rodimus Prime. Long time no see."

* * *

Alpha Trion stood in the empty place where once a raging time anomaly had been. His optics roamed the emptiness and he smiled slightly. Finally he turned and transformed, moving swiftly toward the secret underground entrance.

* * *

Shanygn sat in her quarters and tried to ignore the smirk on Nicholas' face. It was hard, almost impossible.   
"Stop it!" she finally growled.   
"What?" he asked innocently.   
"You know! Now stop it!"   
"Well, you have to admit it's funny...."   
Her blue eyes flashed and he grinned even more. "I'll show you funny, Mister!" she threatened and grabbed for a crutch.   
Nick held up his hands in mock surrender. "Don't hurt yourself!"   
"You are the one who has to worry about getting hurt!"   
Nicholas walked over to her and kissed her gently. "Calm down. It was a stupid accident. I'm glad it's just a broken foot...." His face grew momentarily serious. "It could have been much worse."   
Shanygn nodded, reminded of what Rodimus had looked like after the time window had spewed them out. He had been a mess. And until she had phased out she had not felt her own injuries. Skywolf was still puzzled by her broken leg because normally a phased partner couldn't get hurt. She had reminded him that Rodimus and she were not the typical Interface and maybe that was the reason. Whatever had been the reason, it all came down to a broken leg and a cast that would come off in about a week. Shanygn's theory was that whatever had hit them, this storm of chrono particles and raw energy, had penetrated the shielding skin of Rodimus' body and the force had broken her leg. Nicholas was right; it could have been much, much worse!   
"How about you sit down, put your leg up and we'll see how to pass the time?" Nick now suggested.   
Shanygn grimaced. "No bad B-movies please....."   
Nicholas looked insulted. "Hey, they weren't that bad!"   
She chuckled and lowered herself onto the couch. "A giant rubber squid eating submarines? Some really badly animated half robotic monsters fighting other monsters?"   
"Okay, no B-movies. I discovered a funny classic TV show called Star Trek or something like it....," Nicholas proposed.   
She groaned. "Sitcom?"   
"Nope, some sci-fi thing. Saw one ep and couldn't stop laughing."   
"All right. But the moment I see a rubber dinosaur terrorizing Tokyo I'm out of here!"   
Nick grinned and popped in a tape. "None of that, believe me!"   
They settled down on the couch, Shanygn resting her broken leg on the couch table. In the back of her mind she was aware of her partner, but he was shielding and she knew he was about to face the hardest task ever. She wanted to be with him, help him, but Rodimus had asked her to leave him alone for this. He had to do it alone, face it alone. There was nothing in the world that would be able to help him.

* * *

Rodimus stood in front of the closed office door, feeling totally out of place. He shouldn't be here. He shouldn't even think about being here! He should be as far away from this office as possible, but here he was, under his own power, and he would go through with it. All of it. He might come out of the soon-to-follow argument with more dents and bruises than he had sustained through the time window, but he wouldn't run. He had faced Optimus Prime like this before and it had nearly killed him, but this time he wasn't about to let anyone interfere. They had to talk about it: all of it! Opening the door he silently stepped inside, aware he was now on what classified as enemy territory. Voluntarily......   
And he was immediately fixed by two deadly blue optics. Rodimus closed the door carefully and met the cold optics with his neutral ones.   
"Get out."   
The voice was flat, almost dead, and still it carried a threat that would not have given anybody a second thought about what to do. It would have made almost everyone follow the silently voiced order. But he wouldn't follow orders.   
"No."   
His equally flat and silently delivered rebellion against the order of his commander was met by fury sparking in the blue optics. Optimus Prime rose slowly from behind his desk, a menacing, large robot who was stronger than his second-in-command and would be able to tear him apart if he wanted to. But Rodimus was equally able to keep himself out of his friend's reach and out of danger for a while. Training with Riverdance had paid off where speed and agility were concerned, and if push came to shove he knew where to strike.   
"I said leave," Optimus repeated, voice cold.   
"And I said no. We have to talk."   
"There is nothing to talk about, Rodimus Prime."   
"What happened....."   
Another flash crossed Optimus' optics. "What happened? I know exactly what happened and it showed me where you stand!"   
Rodimus felt a stab of pain. Optimus hadn't said it out aloud, but he had heard the accusation anyway. Traitor. Optimus considered him a traitor. And maybe he was. Hadn't he kept his friend from saving the only female he had ever loved?   
"I did it for a reason," Rodimus said quietly.   
"A reason? You destroyed my life again for a reason?" Optimus hissed, his voice never rising. "I had the chance to save a life and you took that chance from me!"   
"Because you would have destroyed everything else through it."   
"Lies!"   
"No, the truth. You know it, I know it, and every scientist with a bit of time travel knowledge can tell you. Saving Aleeta would have meant catastrophic results for this time."   
"I could have saved her! Isn't that what counts? No! Apparently it doesn't! There is no proof for your theories about time changes!" Optimus accused, walking around his desk. "You stopped me because you were afraid!"   
"Yes, I was afraid!" Rodimus shot back, not moving from where he was. "I was afraid for all of us! I know why you did it and I know I would have tried it as well, but the risks....."   
"I knew the risks!"   
"Did you?" he snapped. "Did you really? Or did you just see Aleeta and your chance at happiness, however short it might have been?"   
Optimus rocked back and his optics flared in rage. "You have no idea....!!"   
"I have an idea! I know what it feels like, damnit, because I felt the Matrix! I felt your pain, I know what it was like for you!" Rodimus cried. "And I know what you were about to do was selfish and without thinking!"   
The older Prime growled and advanced, but Rodimus moved back, dancing around a chair to stop himself from tripping over it. "How dare you spy on me!"   
"I didn't! We are connected through the Matrix and when I tried to find you it gave me an impression what was happening to you! Optimus, you know it would have been wrong!"   
"Liar!"   
Another quick evasion saved him from getting too close to the angry robot.   
"You lie because you know what Aleeta means for me! Because you fear for your own position!"   
"What?! Optimus, get real.....!" Rodimus nearly tripped over another chair as he moved back further.   
"I am real! All of this is real! Too real! You took away my hope and my dreams!"   
"No, I took away an illusion! Aleeta One is dead! She died and she cannot be revived!"   
"No!"   
"Face it! I know you did once and you said good-bye! Don't destroy what you already built!" Rodimus begged.   
"You destroyed it!"   
"Optimus, please....! You are hurting yourself with this!"   
Optimus gave a low growl and suddenly lunged forward, pinning Rodimus with surprising speed and strength. "The only one who is going to hurt is you, Rodimus Prime! For taking away my only hope to ever feel happiness again!"   
Rodimus met the angry optics and saw emotional pain in there, deep sitting pain. "What about Rikkochet?" he asked quietly. Optimus hesitated momentarily. "Doesn't she give you happiness? I know you like her and the feeling is mutual," the younger Prime pressed his point. "You never let her close because you are still mourning, but she is there for you."   
"Don't!"   
"Why? Because it is the truth?" Rodimus wanted to know.   
Prime made a noise of disgust and pushed him roughly away. Rodimus stumbled back.   
"It is the truth, right? You like her but you are afraid to face it! You think you might betray Aleeta and her memory!"   
"Shut up! You did enough damage already!" Optimus ordered harshly.   
"Damage? What damage? You wanted to change *time*! For crying out loud, you were ready to change the history of this world and the whole universe as far as we know, just to make your own life better! How much more selfish can it get! And you accuse me of inflicting damage through words? Mere words?" Rodimus felt anger rise inside him as well.   
"I said shut up!!"   
"Why? Because you can't stand the truth? Face it, Prime! You were about to make the biggest mistake ever and I stopped you!"   
"You killed Aleeta! You killed Alpha Trion! You destroyed me!" Optimus cried.   
"I saved you! And in a way I saved Aleeta and Alpha Trion as well. You accepted what had happened some time ago.... why did you have to release old ghosts again? Why?"   
Optimus sank down on one of the chairs, burying his head in his hands. "You don't know what it is like!" he whispered.   
"No, I don't. At least not personally. I know your pain, but I also know you fought it and won once. You can do it again!" Rodimus came closer. "And you have help if you want to."   
"Get out!" the older Prime ordered harshly without looking up.   
"Op...."   
"I said leave!"   
Rodimus hesitated one more second, looking at his older friend who now refused to meet his optics, his head buried in his hands, suffering from the past.... both pasts. Then he slowly retreated. He closed the door and strode back to his office. When he finally was in his own sanctum, a place he regarded as a safe place until the next invasion of officers happened, he leaned against the wall, staring at the ceiling.   
What else could he have done but get Optimus back? He could not have allowed him to save Aleeta, whatever would have happened then. He just couldn't.   
"You did the right thing."   
Rodimus snapped out of his thoughts and saw a pair of light blue optics in the twilight of his unlit office. The optics came closer and he discovered a familiar form.   
"Hi, Sil," he said softly. "Come to read me the riot act about the order?"   
She smiled softly. "No. That can wait," she answered quietly. "You went to talk to Optimus, right?"   
He only nodded.   
"And he is not inclined to see your point of view."   
He nodded again.   
Silhouette sighed and gently tugged at Rodimus' arm, leading him over to his chair, making him sit down. "He will get over it; he did it once before. And Optimus will understand that what you did was for the best."   
"Maybe," Rodimus muttered, sighing deeply. "But until then I'll better not get too close."   
Silhouette smiled and perched herself onto the desk. "You did the right thing, Roddy. Really."   
"I know."   
"And he knows as well. Give him time."   
"Easier said than done. Sil, I understand him! I know what he feels because the Matrix showed me. And even if not, I can very well imagine what the loss of one's life mate means," he added in a soft voice.   
Her smile softened. "You always had a good imagination," Sil teased.   
Rodimus chuckled, then he grew serious. "It will take time."   
"And you will have help."   
"Thanks."   
"Roddy, he will get back to his old self. Believe me. I'll talk to him. I did it once before and he listened."   
Rodimus sighed. "This time you have to pin him down or tie him up."   
Sil grinned maliciously. "No problem."   
"Sil!"   
She laughed and jumped off the table. "Relax. I won't hurt him....much." With that she disappeared.   
Rodimus smiled, but his smile faded quickly again. Yes, Silhouette had once talked with Optimus and he had listened, but this time the pain was worse than before. Rodimus had to know. He had touched the Matrix and even now he thought he felt its pulses from far away. Optimus Prime would one day see that it had been necessary, but until then Rodimus was a traitor in his eyes, someone who had destroyed the little happiness he had though he could find again.   
It would be a rough time.   
A very rough one.

*

He was alone once more.   
Totally alone.   
His optics gazed longingly at the picture he always kept hidden in a drawer.   
That beautiful, familiar face ......   
"Aleeta," he whispered, his voice filled with the old, remembered pain.

* * *

Epilogue:

Optimus Prime stood in front of his second-in-command's door, hand raised to knock or ring, but he didn't complete the move. Two weeks had passed since the time window incident; two weeks since he had last talked or even seen his partner. Rodimus Prime was in West Central, he took part in the meetings of the Council, but neither had exchanged either words or looks. Rodimus had tried to talk to him once, but Optimus had rudely cut him off, telling quite openly what he thought of him.   
Traitor.   
Prime winced. At the time he had meant it. His emotions had run wild and he had blurted out what had come to mind. He had felt betrayed by his friend, he had suffered and he had been deeply hurt. Still, it had been an old injury. It had been ripped open, true, but he had suffered through its pain before and he had accepted and come out stronger. He had come back to his life, he had come back to his friends, and he had started to weave friendly bonds with Rikkochet. The appearance of the time window and the possibility of Aleeta's survival had briefly shattered all, foremost his mind; his logic circuits. Rodimus had been in the immediate line of fire and he had tried to stand his ground. But the more he had tried to help the Autobot leader, the more anger had poured his way.   
The damage had been done.   
Optimus swallowed slightly and raised his hand again. He needed to talk to his second. They had to solve this. And he didn't want it to be Rodimus Prime who had to make the first step. Rodimus had given him a lot, and he had always tried to make the first step, but not this time. That Silhouette had nearly bodily kicked him into doing this was secondary. A wry smile crossed his features. He only clearly remembered the expression on Sil's face when she had stormed into his office and confronted him. Her words had been right to the heart of the problem and she had not hidden behind niceties. She had been very straight-forward and almost rude.   
But it had helped.   
Here he was.   
Optimus sighed and knocked. At first there was no reaction, then a voice said, "Yes."   
He winced at the tone of the voice. He could read his partner better than anyone and the Matrix was a large part of this understanding. It had been contracting painfully lately and he knew the pain was the emotional upheaval from Rodimus' side of the link. They had come closer throughout the years, though both side shielded heavily that the other would not he hindered or disturbed. At time like this he was glad he had this link; it was an incredible link.   
The door opened and Optimus stepped inside. He met the blue gaze of his partner – which quickly turned into surprise then wariness – and nodded. "Rodimus, we need to talk."   
"Yes?" The wariness was in every letter.   
"I.... Roddy, what happened...." Optimus shook his head, unable to find the right words. "I want to apologize."   
The younger Autobot's optics widened in clear surprise. He opened his mouth to say something, but Optimus held up a hand.   
"Please, hear me out. What I did was wrong, I know that now. At the time I didn't and couldn't realize it, but I was at fault. What I was doing would have changed everything, would probably have destroyed everything. What I accused you of.... it was mean and low, and it was the worst I could ever have one."   
"Optimus..."   
Optimus sighed. "I never wanted this to happen."   
"I know," Rodimus said softly. "In a way I understand, but it still hurt."   
The Autobot leader winced slightly. "I'm sorry."   
"Listen, I understand, I really do. I know you loved Aleeta and would do everything if you could bring her back, but death is final. You have to accept it."   
Optimus nodded. "I know that now."   
"And you have friends out there who would want to help."   
Prime smiled. "That I know as well. Thank you, Rodimus."   
Rodimus shrugged slightly. "Hey, what are second-in-commands for?"   
"Not as scapegoats and not as punching balls."   
"It happened. Let's file it away as something we shouldn't repeat."   
Optimus nodded again. "Gladly. Just call back the army."   
"Come again?"   
"Sil."   
Rodimus chuckled. "So that's what she's been doing lately. I was wondering. And before you ask, no, I didn't sic her on you. I'd never do that."   
"I figured." Optimus grinned wryly. "She never needed someone to tell her to kick my butt."   
The younger Autobot burst out laughing. Optimus grinned, feeling a lot better inside. He would need time to get over it all, over this lost chance to save Aleeta, but it would be faster and more final than the last time.   



End file.
